The Denver Nuggets entered Saturday night's Game 7 matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers facing a lot of pressure. After halftime, though, Nikola Jokic and Co. ran away from Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers. Russell Westbrook put the cherry on top of a dominant performance from his team with an emphatic dunk.
In fact, he picked up a technical foul for hanging on the rim too long, embellishing the slam.
Russell Westbrook gets the steal for the SLAM 😤
He received a technical foul for hanging on the rim 😅pic.twitter.com/dACRmlDfUg
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 4, 2025
The second half was a track race for the Nuggets, who exited their locker room with a vengeance. They went on a big run to start the second half, and the Clippers never recovered. Their lead hung around 25 points for the majority of the fourth quarter as the celebration began in Denver. When the game ended, the Nuggets left with a 120-101 win.




Westbrook might have rubbed things in a little too much with his dunk, but this series was personal to him. He was with Los Angeles last season, playing alongside James Harden and Leonard. After a poor playoff showing against the Dallas Mavericks in the first round, the Clippers decided to move on from him.
The former MVP eventually found a landing spot with the Nuggets. He accepted a smaller role off the bench and formed one of the league's best two-man games with the reigning MVP. His contributions in the postseason were a big reason why the Nuggets were able to pull out the win in Game 7. He finished the game with 16 points, five assists and five rebounds.
Westbrook defeated some playoff demons while helping propel Denver into the second round. He is shooting north of 40% from deep in the postseason so far after being marked as a non-shooter by opposing defenses.
Denver will need their sixth man to be at his best in the second round. If Westbrook brings his A-game against his former team, the Nuggets have a chance to make it back to the Western Conference Finals for the second time in three years.